Not their parents’ shop class
LAUREL — Austin Hall fabricated a metal table for welding at his farm.
Miles Forsberg rigged a mousetrappowered car.
Woodworking students construct everything from the simple to the elaborate – segmented cutting boards and coasters to shelves, end tables and cabinets. Those in welding are currently putting together a stand for the track team’s timing system. Architectural drafting students helped design plans for the new Laurel Community Center. Building construction students are making two sheds.
It’s not their parents’ shop class, that’s for sure. In fact, it’s not even called that anymore. It’s all under the umbrella of Skilled and Technical Science classes at Laurel-Concord-Coleridge, said industrial tech teacher Pat Harrington.
“I don’t want to start mass producing things but if there’s a need from the community, that’s what I’d rather do,” he said – to provide more teachable moments.
After the introductory class, 9-12 students can take different paths depending on their interests, Harrington said.
“A lot of schools back in the day were either all woods or all metals and that was it,” he said.
About 70 percent of class time is spent on hands-on learning while the other 30 percent is lecture.
“There’s some stuff you have to teach the theory behind it before you just go out and do it. They have to have a frame of reference to go from . . . especially with safety,” Harrington said. “You have to give them the why behind it so they can avoid the pitfalls.”
In his second year teaching at LCC, Harrington has seen a nice increase in enrollment and has been able to upgrade and modernize the equipment used.
“We’ve revamped the entire shop to where every piece of equipment in there is less than five years old. It’s all modern. You give them a modern piece of equipment, the best safety you can offer,” Harrington said.
Along with the latest equipment, an industry-standard ventilation and dust collection system was added.
Forsberg is finishing his sophomore year and has found a potential future in welding.
“I have considered going to college to weld so that I can work or run a welding shop or just have the know-how to help out on the farm,” he said.
Beside the hands-on skills they are getting in trades, students are also learning soft skills such as teamwork and communication.
Senior Erica Benson said she can take what she’s learned in her two years in drafting class and apply that attention to detail as she pursues an administrative professional degree at Northeast Community College.
She’s already designed her future mansion as a class project, she said.
Harrington’s goal is to eventually elevate the program into an apprenticeship or work shadowing opportunity to show students job opportunities are right in their backyard.
“There’s good money to be made in small communities because demand is way higher. I like to show that to kids,” he said. “I’m trying to tie what I’m teaching into what the town can use.”
He also likes to tell his students that you don’t necessarily need to go to a four-year college or even go straight to community college – depending on their chosen career.
“There’s a lot of emphasis put on higher education and there’s nothing wrong with that but there’s a lot of kids being done a disserve,” Harrington said.
After all, there are many careers where on-the-job training may be all that’s required.
“There’s some stuff in electrical, plumbing, HVAC, refrigeration, if you get in with a company, they’ll do everything in their power to train you as good as possible because they know they can’t find people,” Harrington said.
Many employers are offering help financially with further education, books, or tools if they agree to work for them during school and for some years after, he said.
Harrington’s goal is to get his students career ready and help them see the trades as a future they can really enjoy and make a good living.
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